Missed Opportunities Doom Golden Eagles In Lubbock

Junior outfielder Logan Domenico was perfect at the plate, but it wasn't enough as the Oral Roberts University baseball team left 10 runners on base and fell to No. 28 Texas Tech on Saturday, 3-2.

ORU dropped to 1-3 this season, while Tech improved to 4-1. Tech entered the game in the Top 30 in both National College Baseball Writers Association and Collegiate Baseball at No. 28 and 30, respectively.

Domenico was perfect at the plate in four at bats, recording his second career four hit game, last doing so last season at Oklahoma on March 20. It was also the second two-double game by Domenico as he reached safely on two doubles at Northwestern State on May 17, 2012.

Emmanuel Forcier and Matt Brandy continue to have good starts to the season with a two hits each, while Tyler Boss, Audie Afenir and Joey Migliaccio added singles.

Kurt Giller (0-2) had his longest outing (5.1 innings) since March 24, 2012, against Central Arkansas. Giller allowed two runs on eight hits and struck out three in the loss. Hayden Holley faced a batter in the sixth in relief of Giller, before Colin Hightower entered for the final two and two thirds innings.

Cameron Smith (2-0) earned the victory for the Red Raiders in relief of starter Dominic Mereno who lasted five and a third innings with an earned run and a pair of strikeouts. Jonny Drozd pitched the ninth inning to earned the save.

With the game scoreless in the bottom of the fourth, the Red Raiders got on the board as Matt Broadbent doubled down the left field line to score Tyler Neslony.

The Golden Eagles tied the game at one in the top of the sixth. With one out, Boss and Domenico each singled to center, followed by a Afenir walk to load the bases. Migliaccio then stepped in and reached on a fielder's choice, pushing Boss across the plate to tie the game.

Unfortunately, Domenico and Migliaccio were stranded as the inning came to an end. The Golden Eagles left 10 runners on base in the game, including the bases loaded twice and a runner on third a total of four times.

The Red Raiders answered the Golden Eagles' run with a pair in the top of the sixth, with a pair two in the bottom of the inning. Broadbent struck again with his second double into the left field corner, to plate Neslony and Adam Kirsch, to retain the lead, 3-1.

In the top of the seventh, with Forcier on second and Brandy on first after singles, Jose Trevino hit a tapper back to third. Fortunately for the Golden Eagles, the Tech pitcher made a wild throw trying to get out Forcier at third, allowing him to score to cut the Tech lead to 3-2.

ORU and Tech will face each other in game two of the three-game set on Saturday at 2 p.m.